Reunions
by KrazywithaK
Summary: Terra's back, and not everyone's happy about it. But the Titans are willing to let her stay. After all, everyone deserves a second chance. And a third, and a fourth...
1. Welcome Back

Reunions-Chapter One: Welcome Back 

"Ouch!" I yelped, stumbling off of the rock and falling flat on my face.

"Smooth. Real smooth."

"I've been stuck in a hunk of rock," I grumbled, "what do you expect?" I stood up and brushed the dirt off myself. Then, for the first time, I actually noticed that I was completely unsure of where I was. Looking around, I saw a lake, some trees, and the base where I'd served as a landmark. Your typical city park in an anything but typical city.

"Welcome back. So, how's our favorite little statue," droned a monotone voice. It belonged to the cloaked girl standing in front of me. I would have recognized the sarcasm anywhere.

"Nice to see you too, Raven. Where exactly are we?"

"City park. Built last year. You've sort of been a park monument," she replied with absolutely no clues as to how she was feeling. "And a bird bathroom," she added, with a gesture toward my hair. _Eew._

"I've been worse." I managed to muster a hollow laugh. This place had changed so much in a year, two years? Time had passed, but I never felt it passing. If anything had happened between then and now, I did not know of it. It was like being put to sleep for an operation. Volcano lava, the city, and now this. My life, all in order with no gap for the past that I had not been a part of.

I walked over to the lake. Raven followed, floating silently behind me. Looking into the clear surface, I saw a girl. A girl with long, stringy blonde hair that got in her eyes, which were an icy blue. She shared my name, but I wish she did not share my deeds, so that perhaps one of us could have a clear conscience. I feel like I shut it off for a few years and turned it back on when I opened my eyes.

A girl who was still wearing that infernal neuro interface! With a sudden fit of rage, I began tugging violently at the suit. Despite all my efforts, the suit remained a part of me, just like my past. Try as I might, I could not change what had already happened. Or change out of this stupid thing! It was all but flattering.

"Just to let you know, copper and black are so out. Purple is the latest in psychopathic criminal apprentice chic," Raven said, in a last ditch attempt to make me smile. I managed to crack a grin.

"Say, what year is it, exactly?" Raven looked at me, her eyes sadder than ever.

"Terra, you were in that rock a long time. But looking at you, you haven't aged a day. It must have preserved you perfectly. Looks like the fountain of youth flows with lava." She paused. "But I am older now, as you have probably noticed." I hadn't. She continued, " It's been a long time."

"In fact, Terra, it's been six years."

Had I been drinking coffee, I would have spit it out now.

"SIX YEARS!"

"Yes, and I'm sure the penguins in Antarctica have heard you by now."

"But six years?"

"Sad, isn't it?" She stared at me, genuinely sympathetic.

"Tell me how the others are," I pleaded.

"Cyborg's fine. Starfire has missed you lately. Robin's disappointed, in a weird way. He sort of needed Slade to fight. It kept him busy. I myself have been writing lately. A biography, actually, of you. Hope you don't mind."

"And Beast Boy?" Raven sensed the eagerness in my eyes.

"I wish I could tell you he misses you, and thinks about you every day." My heart was already sinking. "But he hasn't talked about you. I don't think things will ever be the same between you too." She muttered something under her breath. I thought she said, "I sure hope not," but I HAD to have been wrong.

I sighed, gathered up my courage, and started toward the gate. As I placed my hand on the lock, I was hit by a wave of realization.

I am standing here in the uniform of a criminal, covered in bird mess, and not exactly having a good hair day. Yeah, that's a great first impression.


	2. A Well Deserved Explanation

Reunions: Chapter Two- A Well-deserved Explanation 

"Hold on," she said. "I can't just waltz into town looking like this and expect them to be okay with it."

"True," I agreed. Actually, I hated to admit it, but I hadn't planned out what I would do after I got Terra out of the rock. I didn't really think that I was capable of pulling it off, but it looks like I underestimated myself. "How about we go to the mall? I know you still don't have normal clothes, but we can just buy them there. There are plenty of weirdos at the mall. You won't be alone."

"All right, I'll go to the mall. If anyone asks, it's for my school play." I neglected to disclose to her the fact that little kids asked about her all the time when she was a statue and that when kids misbehaved their parents often used her as an example. _Why should I tell her? She'll find out soon enough._

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you, how exactly did I get out of the rock?" Now she asks, after we've been talking for what, thirty minutes? 

"First of all, you didn't 'get' out of the rock. I got you out of there. And second of all, it's a long story, and frankly, I don't think you're worth it." Well, it's the truth! I tell it like it is.

"C'mon, it's a long walk to the mall. Please?" A sudden vision of Beast Boy doing the "face" finally convinces me that I really should tell her.

"Fine," I groan. I'm not in the mood to argue. In fact, I never am. I do not get angry easily! Okay, you proved your point. On with the long and detailed explanation!

"It all started years ago, a few months after you were trapped. Naturally, we had a little trouble coping at first. I was more angry than sad. Robin remained in a slump, having lost his rival. Cyborg didn't even feel like working on the T-car. Starfire kept bursting into tears at every noise. And Beast Boy?" I took a dramatic pause. " The saddest looking kid I'd ever seen. You could tell he was broken, in his spirit, his heart, his laughter. If he hadn't been so darn depressed, you'd still be stuck in there. I didn't care until we started to become closer. After the whole Malchior thing…."

"Who's Malchior?"

"You don't want to know. Really," I made my voice firm, "you don't. Anyway, we were becoming better friends. I really started to like him. But he was still broken on the inside, no matter how big his smile was. So I decided that, one way or another, I would get you out so he could see you again."

"And how exactly am I standing here today?" Terra and I had reached the main road. The mall was a few short blocks from here. _And there's so much more, _I whined.

"Okay, so I started searching through my spellbooks, looking for the one spell that would bring you back. I found several spells, but none worked. Some were only meant for statues made of marble, some only worked on fountains. Eventually, I found a spell that worked. All that was missing was one ingredient: a lock of hair from the head of an admirer."

"How did you get it?"

"Clipped it off of Beast Boy when he wasn't looking."

"But he doesn't like me anymore."

"Whatever. Anyway, it worked. And that's all that matters." I pushed the button on the crosswalk. The light flashed, "WALK". Terra and I crossed the street and entered the mall parking lot. At last, we had reached our destination. "Terra?"

"Yeah Raven?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything after what you did for me." I was filled with the overwhelming feeling of knowing you're about to say something dreadfully sarcastic.

"When we're in the mall, could you pretend not to know me?"


	3. An Extremely Weird Makeover

Reunions: Chapter Three - An Extremely Weird Makeover 

"I guess, if it means that much to you." Which, apparently, it did. I was still in shock. I mean, I know Raven can be a bit harsh, but it seemed like she hated my guts even more than before. A part of me remained convinced that it was because of Beast Boy, but why it thought that, I didn't know.

"Let's go. The mall will be closing soon." I followed her up the marble steps. A mother and her baby were going the opposite was on the other side. I smiled at the little boy, whose big eyes took in the world so curiously. At the sight of my face, he burst into tears. His mother stared at me in disbelief, as if she hadn't expected me to be alive. She shot me a dirty look, and finally went on, completely ignoring us.

The shop we entered was outdated and in disrepair. A few rickety curtains hung outside the dressing rooms, which were also messy. Without a word, Raven started piling shirts into my arms and completely covering me with pants. A few hats landed on my head; I felt like a human ring toss. When she finally decided that we had enough, she forced me into a dressing room and shut the curtain.

"It doesn't lock."

"Well, I'll guard it for you," she snapped. "Your Highness," she added as an afterthought.

Steaming, I reentered the dressing room. After trying on several shirts, I finally decided on a lavender-colored one. It had long sleeves that just covered the last reminders of my past life. I felt guilty about putting on the shirt, like I was covering up a part of me so the world couldn't see the truth. When I gazed at my reflection, I was relieved to see that no part of the neuro interface showed. Still, I could feel its power, lurking like some evil monster under a five-year-old child's bed.

Then, I looked at my hair; it was stringy, messy, and gross. Let's not forget about the two silvery things whose function I did not know. They stuck out from my head. Anyone could tell who I was just by looking at me. With a little effort, I was able to style two messy buns around them. There, perfect. I had built myself a nice hard outer shell to keep the outside world from using my guilt to their advantage. At last, I emerged from the dressing room.

"Took you long enough."

"Give me a break! Do you know how hard it is to put a shirt on over this infernal contraption Slade called a uniform?"

"No, and that's my point. Everyone messes up, just not as bad as you do." She turned and left to pay the cashier, leaving me open-mouthed. Had that just happened?

"Mind if my friend wears her purchases out of the store?" Friend? Ha!

"Whatever." The cashier snapped her gum. We left the store. I couldn't get out of there soon enough. I remained convinced that they were watching me: in every security camera, on every block, I was never safe. Every move I make, what I eat, how I talk, it was all evidence that I was some common criminal.

"You hungry?" For the first time since my arrival, Raven was actually being NICE.

"Are you kidding? I haven't eaten in six years. I'm starved!"

"Hey, how about we head back to Titans Tower so we can order a pizza?" Home, or close to it. I longed to be among the people who loved me and accepted me. Even with all of my friends, I still felt the guilt. Like I wasn't good enough. Like I didn't deserve such good treatment.

"Sure." We exited the mall and headed down the main road. The sun was setting, the earth itself was content, and I was headed home.


	4. I'll get the door

Reunions: Chapter Four- "I'll get the door…" 

(Beast Boy's point of view)

Okay, this is going to sound a little weird. What happened yesterday was a shock to me. I didn't understand why I wasn't as happy as I should have been. I felt like something was missing, like things had changed and they'd never be the same. So I tried reliving it in my head. I still couldn't make any sense of it. Eventually, I decided that the best way to reflect on it was to write it. Yes, that's right, I wrote a play. Not like me to be into art, but it really helped. Plus, I actually am starting to like this literature stuff. Well, so far, I haven't shown my play to anyone, so I put it here. Hopefully, it'll get a few reviews. _Here goes my reputation…_

I'll Get The Door A play by Garfield Logan Act One 

The set is Titans Tower. Cyborg and BB are playing video games. Starfire is trying to cook dinner. Robin is training in the gym. BB is not really interested in the game. His mind is wandering to Raven. Currently, he is wondering if he likes her more than he thinks he does. Raven has been out for an awfully long time.

Cyborg (to Beast Boy): I am so gonna kick your butt! 

Beast Boy (uninterested): Whatever.

Starfire (depressed): My friends, I fear there will be no Zorkaberry pie tonight, as the oven and I have not been getting along very well.

Beast Boy (concerned): I wonder where Raven is. She's been out a long time.

Cyborg (reassuringly): I'm sure she's fine, BB. Raven can take care of herself. (teasing) How come all of a sudden you care about Raven so much?

Beast Boy (defensively): I don't, I just don't like not knowing where she is, or who she's hanging out with…..

Cyborg (teasing): Aww, you like her, don't you?

Beast Boy (irritated): I do not! (BB drops the controller.)

Starfire: Who wants Pudding of Sadness?

Cyborg and BB (in unison): EEW!

Just then, there is a sudden knock on the door.

Cyborg: Now who could that be? 

Starfire: Perhaps our friend has returned!

Beast Boy: Is it Raven? I'll get the door.

Beast Boy checks his appearance in the mirror. Cyborg makes fun of him, but Beast Boy seems not to care. Beast Boy finally reaches the door and opens it. On the other side is…

RRRIP!

"AAH! My play! My beautiful play! I finally find my true calling," Beast Boy wailed, "and you RIP it! How dare you!"

KLUNK.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Beast Boy has been detained and put into a straitjacket. He will remain in solitary confinement until we have removed every notion of becoming the next great American playwright from his head. We have kindly retold the events without any of Beast Boy's input. Read on and ignore the screaming.

"Ok, Beast Boy. Comic books are GOOD. Becoming a playwright, BAD for you in particular."

"Dude, you are going down!" Cyborg maneuvered his prizefighter around the ring. He swung a few punches at Beast Boy's character, a scrawny teenage boy with a sword. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing Knockout Fest 3: Return of the Mutants.

"Yeah, well your 'prizefighter' looks more like a ballerina." Although he hated to admit it, Beast Boy wasn't in the mood to play video games. He was too depressed. Raven had left without an explanation. Thoughts of Raven on a date with some handsome-looking guy ran through his brain. He shook them from his mind and continued the game.

"Hey, that never happened."

"Shut up or I'll bring out the ray gun."

"Guys, do you wish to consume, I mean, do you want pizza for dinner?" questioned a voice from the kitchen. Starfire's "English" had improved since she had arrived, but once in a while, she slipped up.

"Sure. What toppings?" Robin had just entered the room, sweaty from his workout. Upon seeing Starfire, he said, "I'll go get a shower," then left the room blushing. His departure was followed by an awkward silence.

"You added that. I'm sick of all this romance!"

ZZAPP!

"Ok, I'll shut up."

"Hey," Beast Boy said, breaking the silence, "where's Raven?

"Dunno," Cyborg replied. "Probably shopping."

"Raven doesn't like shopping." Beast Boy was getting anxious. "What if she's with some person we don't know? Some bad guy could have her, or worse, she could be at the movies with some weirdo Goth dude!"

"Raven can handle herself," Cyborg reassured him. "Besides, if Raven has a crush on anyone, it's you." Beast Boy blushed.

"I did not!"

"Here comes the ray gun…."

"What makes you say that?" he asked, sounding half-curious, half-defensive.

"She's been spending a lot of time with you. Take that!" Cyborg hollered as the prizefighter punched the scrawny kid, who looked remotely like Beast Boy.

"That's what you get for interrupting."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Beast Boy exclaimed, rocketing off of the couch and making for the door. "Maybe Raven's back," he hoped. He turned the knob and…

Sorry, but thanks to ol' Garfield here, we're out of room. Once again, we apologize if this chapter has disturbed you in any way. Please tune in next time for another chapter of Reunions, without the play.

"AND WITHOUT THE FLUFF!"

"Remember, I am the author. Which means I can…control you."

MWAHAHAHA!

Don't you just love it when you're the one calling the shots? I know I do.

**Author's Note: This last chapter was a little weird, but I tried to make it funny. Plus, I love torturing you guys with cliffhangers. Kidding! You can stop throwing the rotten fruit now! And the furniture!**


	5. Home Sweet Home

Reunions: Chapter Five – Home Sweet Home 

"No way."

Standing in the doorway of Titans Tower was Raven. But not just Raven, another girl was with her. She had shoulder length blonde hair, which had two small uneven buns in it. Half of it fell in her face, covering her penetrating ice blue eyes. She was wearing a periwinkle t-shirt, a faded denim skirt, and a broken smile on her pale face. Her whole face seemed apologetic, as if she were pleading that we forgive her for some horrid crime.

"Hi, guys." Her voice, too, was timid and cracked. This was not the girl I knew, who had challenged me to Turbo Speedway and kicked my butt, nor was she the girl who wrecked my car, my pride and joy, and stood there and laughed. Laughed like a child discovering some fascination.

"Are you talking to me, or are you still giving me the silent treatment? Not like I could really talk to you then," she added, glancing nervously around the room.

Six years ago, I would have said, "Hey, what's goin' on?" Starfire would have giggled, then engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. Raven would have kept her mouth shut, but still give her a slight nod. Robin would have eagerly welcomed her back to the team. And Beast Boy would rush to meet her, then give her an embarrassed kiss. But that's not what happened.

"Hey, Terra," Robin stated, somewhat surprised.

"Hi, Terra, what's up?" Starfire said, with perfect slang grammar.

"Yo, Terra, when did you get back?" Beast Boy questioned, confused but glad to see Raven unharmed.

"It's been a long time, Terra, but it's nice to have you back." I gave her a smile. Terra grinned.

"So, you're not gonna kill me? Good, I'm too young to die."

"Speaking of young," Beast Boy interrupted, "You haven't aged a day. How come?"

"Let's discuss this over a pizza," Raven suggested. "What toppings do you want?"

"Pepperoni," I declared.

"Mustard! I mean, sausage."

"Pineapple!"

"Extra cheese!"

"Well, this is just like old times." Terra laughed a hollow, unnatural laugh.

We sat down around the table. Terra took a deep breath and began the story. It took a long time, and as I finished off the last slice of cheese, Terra finally finished her story. By this time, Starfire had fallen asleep on Robin's shoulder, and was now drooling.

"You can wake up now. I'm finished. Looks like I have a new power," Terra joked, "putting people to sleep."

Starfire lifted her head, then looked around at us.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Robin." Star dusted off his shoulder.

"It's ok, I don't mind." Robin replied dreamily. Terra grinned, Beast Boy chuckled, and Raven smirked, as if to say _I told you so._ Robin blushed, then changed the subject, "So, Terra, do you need a room? Your old one's kinda cluttered, but I'm sure Raven can help you move in."

"Really? Me, live here? Oh boy!"

"That's awesome!" cheered Starfire.

"Sweet!" I screamed.

"Dude, you are gonna love it here!" BB said energetically.

"What's with the 'Oh boy'? Oh yeah, and welcome, I guess. Just don't cause any trouble." We all knew Raven didn't like Terra, but even I thought she was acting a little stranger than usual.

"I'll get my stuff. This is like a dream come true!" Terra leaped onto the table, then hopped onto the floor.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Raven retorted, "What are you gonna do when there's an emergency?"

"Uh, help you guys, I guess."

"Terra," Robin started, "You're a little, erm, young for the kind of work we've been doing. The bad guys just keep getting tougher, and you haven't trained in years. We can handle things on our own, you understand?"

"Yeah. But what am I supposed to do?"

"You can train with us," Robin suggested, "and then you'll be ready as backup."

"You can laugh at my jokes," Beast Boy added, "and boost my self-confidence. And also give me some advice on girls. Like, how to talk to them without making a total idiot out of myself." He glanced at Raven, then quickly looked at his feet.

"You can paint my nails, and go shopping with me, and help me with my training!" Starfire said, jumping up and down.

"You can play video games with me," I exclaimed, "and help me fix the T-car! Then we can kick those losers who tried to steal it in the—"

"And you can meditate with me," Raven interrupted, "and maybe, if I'm real nice, I'll let you read my dark depressing poetry."

"Thanks, guys. I knew you'd understand." Terra stared out the window, deep in thought. "You know, I always thought that I never had a home. That's kinda why I ran off with Slade. He was a father to me. I'd never had one of those. Now I realize that if I did, I wouldn't want him to be like Slade." Terra shuddered, as if to shake off the bad thoughts.

"But that's not where family is," Terra continued. "It's where people love you, accept you, forgive you. And for me, that's right here. In Titans Tower. Or wherever the heck you guys live."

I grinned. Perhaps this wasn't the new Terra, but the old Terra who we never really knew. The one who was happy; the one who loved travel, but valued her friends more than anything. Terra spun, then leaped across our living room. The old Terra was back, I could feel it.

And at that moment, I could have sworn the earth itself was leaping and dancing along with her.


	6. It's Not Okay

Reunions: Chapter Six – It's Not Okay 

"Hurry up, Terra, I can't suspend this in midair for much longer," Raven grumbled. Terra and Raven were moving Terra's bed into her room. Rather, Terra was bossing Raven around and Raven was levitating the bed.

"Well, it wouldn't be so long if you hadn't insisted on taking the long way," Terra snapped.

"Whatever." I stood there watching as Raven and Terra went at each other like bratty kids. I had noticed a change in Raven since Terra had gotten back. I felt like under the surface, there was something Raven had to let out, but now wasn't the time.

"Well, that's everything." Terra smiled at me. "Looks like I'm all moved in. Thanks again, guys."

"Hey, Terra?"

"Yeah, BB?"

"Well," I took a deep breath. "It's been a long time, and I was wondering if you might want to go to the movies with me. You know, to get reacquainted and all."

"That sounds awesome," Terra replied, smiling.

Behind us, Terra's bed turned black, then shattered into a million pieces. Raven left the room abruptly, without so much as a word.

"What's eating her?" Terra wondered aloud.

"I'm going to go see what's wrong." I headed towards the door, but Terra cut me off.

"What about our date?" Well, this was awkward.

"I didn't really think of it as a date," I managed to say, "and I mean, I'm like, nineteen. You're still fourteen."

"Oh," Terra sighed.

"Nothing personal, but things have happened. And I'm not sure how I feel about anyone right now."

"That's okay, I understand." Terra grinned. "I know what's going on. Now, go talk to your little girlfriend." Terra left the room.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I told Terra's back.

"Raven?" I followed her down the dark corridor to her room. "You okay?"

"What do you think?" She still didn't turn around.

"Well, you seemed kinda upset."

"You ditch me for Terra, completely crush me, and act like I'm the one who has something wrong with them. And you want to know if I'm upset."

"Look, I don't like her, if that's what you think. She's just my friend."

"Whatever." Raven entered her room and slammed the door. A piece of paper fluttered down to the ground from under her cloak. I bent over to pick it up. There was writing on it. I began to read.

It was a poem. She had written it in her beautiful, graceful handwriting, which so closely matched her personality. The poem itself was heartbreaking. It made me want to run to her room and throw open the door, begging for her forgiveness. She really had a way with words.

It read:

Now that she's back 

_It isn't the same_

_You act like it is_

_But you know things have changed_

_She smiles, you smile_

_My confidence quivers_

_I'm beginning to feel _

_A lot like chopped liver_

_And it's not okay_

_Leaving me here_

_Depressed and drowning_

_In my ocean of tears_

_It's not okay_

_To treat me like dirt_

_To rip out my heart_

_And not get why it hurts_

_It's not okay_

_But I want things to be_

_Like before she came_

_When it was just you and me_

_When I discovered emotions_

_Could make the heart glad_

_When all that I lost_

_Was all that we had_

_When I didn't get _

_The way that I felt_

_When the hard shell around_

_My heart first did melt_

_I felt it back then_

_I feel it now too_

_Inside my heart_

_A place saved for you_

Feel free to whack me on the head and call me an idiot. I totally deserve it.

"Raven?" I knock on her door. "Raven? You there?"

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry."

"So? You still hurt me."

"Raven," I pleaded, "please give me a chance. See, I even read your poem."

"Yes, but do you understand it?"

"Is it about Terra?"

"You're only half right," she stated, "it's about me, you, and Terra. And about how you broke my heart."

"Raven, I'm really sorry. I didn't know you liked me."

"Well," Raven snapped, "now you know."

I stood outside her door for a little while, thinking about what she had said. Just as I was leaving, a small sound broke the silence. It was a low, whimpering sound, like a dog begging for food. It broke my heart. I still didn't know what it was. But then it hit me, and I was overcome with a wave of pity.

It was the sound of Raven's sobbing.


	7. There's Never Any Peace

Reunions: Chapter Seven – There's Never Any Peace 

"Raven, you okay?" I asked, while knocking on her door.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Her voice had a sad tone, like that of someone who's been crying.

"Well," I began, "I was in the gym and I heard you and BB talking. It sounded like you were having a fight. I got worried, so I came to see if you were upset."

"Well, thanks for checking on me," Raven sighed, "but I'm not okay. Terra's back, and now all of a sudden he treats me like dirt. Well, I won't stand for this. If Terra wants Beast Boy, she can take him."

"Well, you have the right to be angry. Beast Boy shouldn't leave you like that. If Star ever did that to me, well……" My voice trailed off. "But he's a really great guy. I know BB can be a pain, and I know sometimes he doesn't like to show his feelings, but his heart's in the right place."

"Whatever," Raven grumbled. "I'd tell him I don't want to talk to him, but frankly, he's not worth my time, or anyone else's, for that matter."

"Still, I think you're making a colossal mista-" My voice was cut off by an alarm. Starfire dashed down the hall and bumped into me. Frantically, she grabbed my arm. "Star," I asked, "what's going on?"

"There's no time to talk, Robin." Man, her English had gotten good! "Some teenager just broke into the bank. Tried to steal high-security weapons."

"Get the others," I commanded, "and tell Cyborg to warm up the T-car. We've got a criminal to stop."

"You'll never catch me! My father will be avenged!"

"Dude," Beast Boy scoffed, "you seriously need a life."

We were standing in the middle of a bank vault where the weapons and armor were located. In front of us was a boy, with light brown hair and a serious attitude problem. He looked about Terra's age, and glared at her with contempt in his eyes.

"Ah, yes, looks like the idiot tagged along with you." We had agreed to let Terra come as backup, but she still was out of practice. Perhaps this bad guy was actually smart. Wait, what am I thinking?

"How are you, Max? Jealous?" Terra taunted.

"Dude," BB whispered to me, "how does she know him?"

"Oh," Terra grinned evilly, "we go way back. Of course, after the little volcano incident, we sorta lost touch."

Terra lifted two large boulders and raised them over Max. Max just threw his head back and laughed. As Terra prepared to let go, Max vanished, then reappeared by her side. He gave her a kick to the back of her legs. Terra's knees buckled. If it weren't for Bb's quick thinking, she would have been crushed under the enormous weight of the boulders she was trying to lift. Luckily, BB turned into a ram and butted her out of the way.

"You okay, Terra?" He picked her up off of the ground.

"I am now," she said, her eyes shining. Behind her, Raven pretended to throw up.

"Cute, very cute," Max mocked her. "I always knew you were a softy on the inside, Terra. Unlike you, I am one hundred percent emotionless."

"Yeah," Terra retorted, "then how come your dad's death matters?"

"My father," Max began, "was a genius, a criminal genius, but a genius nonetheless. He took me in off the streets, like he did you. He saved me from myself, like he did you. In return, I swore to continue his works after his death. But unlike you I was not an ungrateful little trai-"

I seized the opportunity and whacked him with my staff. That's the thing about super villains. They always have two things in common: tiny brains and big egos.

"Awesome move, Robin!" Starfire cheered. I smiled.

"Looks like ya spoke too soon!" Terra was right. Max was making a break for it. And, he had a hostage. "Raven!"

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Beast Boy followed after Max. Max had already gotten to the street. He snickered, then left Raven right in the path of a speeding car. "No! Don't hurt her!"

"He's getting away!" Star yelled. She flew after him to the other side of the street. Max tried to escape by swinging across the traffic lights, but Star was a step ahead of him. She zapped the line with her starbolts.

"Aaahh!" Max yelped. Ouch, that's gotta hurt. I mean, starbolts and electricity. He'll be feeling that tomorrow.

"Yeah, Star!" I cheered. Starfire did a flip in midair, then used the wire to tie up Max, who was sucking on his burnt thumb.

"Nice job, guys," Terra congratulated us. "But where the heck are Raven and BB?"

"We forgot all about them!" Cyborg recalled.

"Raven? Raven?" I lifted a few pieces of debris and finally found her under the exploded hood of a car.

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her hurt arm. She was clearly unharmed, except for a few minor scratches. "But he isn't." We followed her gaze to the parked car near the side of the road. Terra, Cyborg and I walked over to it. Star helped Raven up.

It was obvious what had happened. _Beast Boy had seen Raven in the way of the car. Thinking of her safety and not his own, he had pushed her out of the way, only to wind up in its path. The car had hit him at a low speed, so the physical damage was minimal. He had a few cuts and scrapes, and he was bleeding. But the worst of the damage was this: he was unconscious._

"Hey, Earl," yelled an older woman to the driver of the car, who was getting out on the other side. "I think we hit somethin'."

"Yeah, I reckon you're right." Earl was an older gentleman in his mid-fifties.

"Well, whadya think it is?"

"Looks like a kid. Or perhaps an elf."

"No duh," Raven droned, speaking for the first time since we had found Beast Boy. She turned to me. "How bad is it?"

"I dunno, but let's get him back to the tower."

"Well," Cyborg said, "After a thorough analysis, and of course taking into account the damage and his powers-"

"Get on with it!" Terra interjected.

"Well, he's gonna be just fine. He's got an extremely strong immune system, and his powers enabled him to withstand the attack. But he's kinda out of it."

"How much so?" I interrogated.

"He's unable to hear us, or snap out of it. Unless…." Cyborg glanced at Raven.

"What?" she questioned. "Unless what?"

"Well, I was thinkin'…"

"That's not like you."

"Terra, shut up. I was thinking that you might be able to go into his mind and all. Like ya did with Robin. You know, convince him that we need him back."

"I'm not sure if my powers are strong enough," Raven worried.

"C'mon, Raven. You can do it!" Cyborg cheered her on.

"Yes, please, bring our friend back to us. I miss him so."

"Yeah, Raven." Terra patted her on the back. Okay, more like slapped her vigorously on the back. "You've got awesome powers. If they can blow up a building, they can knock a little green dude back to his senses."

"It's a good idea," I agreed. "If you could save me from my Slade obsession, you can do this. If you don't save him, no one will."

"Well," she strode over to the operating table where BB lay. Raven put her hand on his forehead. "I'll do it," she said finally. "After all, he did save my life. But I'll need some time to meditate and gather my strength." She leaned over and kissed BB on the cheek.

"Don't worry, buddy," she whispered. "I'll get ya out of there. Somehow."

**Author's Note: Wohoo, my longest chapter! Lotsa drama, but "Earl" tried to lighten it up. Will Raven bring BB back? Will she forgive him? And who is this Max, anyway? Well, you'll have to wait. _I just love a good cliffhanger._ **


	8. Firepower: The Story of a Family

**Author's Note: Marius, Cedric, and Maxwell are all of my own creation. This chapter attempts to explain the events of Birthmark and the origin of Slade. And as for the "noble history of this valiant family," I invented it. They are truly the greatest warriors. Smiles big, oh no, wait, that's what I'm supposed to do.**

"**_Good job. How would you like a job working for me?"_**

"_**Uh…."**  
_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Teen Titans. However, with the aid of my ray gun, I have…_persuaded_ Terra to do my chores.

Reunions: Chapter Eight- Firepower

"Your foolishness has cost us dearly, Marius."

"She was merely a girl. How was I to know how she would behave? Am I to blame for her stupidity? Did I instruct her to disobey my orders?"

"You should have known that one so eager to betray her own friends would be capable of betraying you." I watched as the elderly man quivered under the weight of Cedric's words, flinching at every insult. When your master is being interrogated, you, too, are on the spot.

"I should have known? Surely one so _wise _as yourself should have stopped her."

"Enough! For years we have gone by one name. We have worn the same colors as those before us. We have one face and one legacy. A legacy which you no longer deserve to share!"

"Are you suggesting that I abdicate, Cedric?"

"No. I am ordering you to step down!" A murmur went through the council.

"Fine," Marius stated, "I shall." All hope sank within me.

"You can't," I cried, "Master, you can't!"

"I can," he stated, a thin smile on his cracked lips. "The attack on me just made me realize just how pathetic this whole society is. Apprentices, guilds, what is this? Are we forever trapped within the Middle Ages? No," he continued, "this is no life for a man of fifty or _a girl of only fourteen years!_"

"Then you quit."

"No, I abdicate with all of my dignity." With that he strode towards the doorway.

"Maxwell?"

"Yes, master?"

"Bring me my coat and all of my belongings. Please," he added, with a hint of kindness.

"Yes, master."

"Please, call me Marius." I nodded, then ran to fetch his things.

"Perhaps I was like them all," he told me as I helped him into his car, "doomed to forever see things through only _one eye_."

He was not like them all. He was the greatest of them all. He was the one whose name struck fear into the poor child's heart. His vendetta against the boy was legendary. His acts would be in all of the history books. And I had the pleasure to serve as his apprentice.

The first one was Thomas. The son of a merchant, Thomas displayed great skill with metals at an extremely young age. He became an apprentice in the home of the local coppersmith. For years he toiled, learning the trade he wished to pursue.

The time came for him to make his masterpiece. It was the piece that would allow him permission to join the guild as a master. It was to be a copper kettle.

Disaster struck. During the melting process, Thomas slipped. He was sent face first into the furnace. He caught himself, but on the kettle. The copper spilled, coating one half of his face. He had enough sense to pull away. But half of his face remained badly burned. In addition to that, he lost sight in his right eye. He was ashamed. They banished him from the guild. Thomas became an outcast.

That was how it all began.

There are those who make the best out of a bad situation, and there are those who make the worst. Thomas was of the latter group. He formed his own guild, a band of untrained warriors and common thieves. With revenge on his mind, he trained them. He found a mask so terrifying, the world need never see his face again. He gave them a name, a name they would all bear when the mask came to them.

Their gang made **deals**. He rearranged the letters to spell something sinister. We have gone by that one name ever since.

We have become less of a guild and more of a family. We still use the ancient guild terminology. Marius was more than just my master, he was a father to me. Every time, a new ruler comes to power. Every time, a new face has been concealed by the mask. Every time, the masters take on apprentices, who later become masters and get their own apprentices.

We have all been united by the one name, the one face. We are a community. We need no superpowers. We are not immortal. We have no powers but our own strength.

Except for Cedric.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Cedric, you have broken the code. You deliberately attacked innocent people without reason or history. You attempted to annihilate the very universe in which we live. You have worked for an anti-mortal society. And you have attacked one specific Titan for one reason: power."

"What about Marius' vendetta against Grayson?"

"That was different. He liked to challenge the boy. You, however, wish to abuse the girl's power."

"This is her destiny. I am merely helping her along."

"Cedric, we knew you were dangerous. You with your power to control the flames and command them to do their deadly dance. And yet we took you on. You broke the rules, the very rules you helped to establish. And now, there is reason to believe that you are under the employment of another master."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am."

"We do not associate with their kind."

"Whose kind?" I piped up.

"You know," the councilman said, "the non mortals. The _demons._"

"Fine," Cedric bellowed. "I shall leave, since you disapprove of me."

"It is not you we disapprove of, but your obsession with destruction."

"You disapprove of my kind," Cedric said quietly, while removing his mask. "Then you disapprove of me. Now you no longer deal with demons," he muttered, exposing himself for what he truly was.

Now you know what has been passed to me from my master, who got it from his. Today is my day. Today I don the mask. Today I bear the colors. Today Maxwell is gone. Today, Terra's doom is slated. Today, I become what I truly am.

Today, I become Slade.

**Author's Ending Note: As you can see, Max has, well, issues. But he's a nice kid! Really! Just don't make me wear the suit, it itches!**


	9. Emotions

Reunions: Chapter Nine- Emotions 

"Guess what?" Oh no. There she was in her happy-looking cloak with her stupid grin that she always got whenever we…. she liked some guy.

"Who, or rather what, is it this time?" I groaned. It was the day before I was to enter Beast Boy's mind. It was a scary place, I could tell. I was currently in my meditation mirror, gathering my power and making all the necessary preparations. The last thing I wanted was to be bothered by Love, one of my less intelligent emotions.

"He's so cute!"

"Who?" I asked again.

"Well," she replied, staring at her feet and twisting her ankle, "I think I like someone."

"No, really. So, " I asked, again, "who's the guy? A boy I know?"

"Well, he's not technically a…" her voice trailed off, "what I mean is, uh, I'd rather not say. He's not exactly very…bright." I didn't like where this was going. She continued, "But he's real nice! And he's got a good sense of humor…sorta." Just then, a small sob resonated through my mind. Timid, in her gray cloak, was standing there, a tear running down her cheek.

"He…he…coma!" She burst out sobbing.

"There…there?" I attempted to cheer her up. "He's gonna be fine."

"But he did it for me…I mean us! He wanted to save us."

"I know," I responded, feeling even more like a mother than I already was. Once again, the silence was broken, but this time by a shriek.

"I'LL KILL HER!" Rage. Uh oh.

"Who? Kill who?"

"That idiotic, stupid, naive, powerless, weak, foolish, conniving, little…BLONDE!"

"Terra?" The name was followed by a series of howling noises.

"That's it! I'll have to get rid of her. MWAHAHA! And then, no one can ever get in my way!" Rage stormed off. Love sighed, then floated off, as if on a cloud. Timid finally left, still making little sobbing noises. Finally I was alone.

Azarath, metri- 

"Salutations!" I jumped, then got back on my feet, blushing.

"Smart? What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I could help you with your present predicament."

"What do you mean?"

"Them," she said, pointing at Love, Rage, and Timid. "Do you know why they're acting so weird?"

"Maybe?"

"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "according to my calculations, all of these emotions revolve around one individual."

"Who?"

"Oh," she smirked, "I can't tell you that. It would ruin it for you. Soon enough, you will know. Just gotta sort out your true feelings." And with that she left me there, feeling stupid and confused. Oh, well. At least I'm alone.

Azarath, metrion, zyn- 

"Ra-ven!" A familiar sing-song voice echoed in my head. A little too familiar, if you ask me.

"Terra? Whaddya want?" I grumbled, emerging from the mirror. "And what did I tell you about going into my room?"

"Well, it's time for you to help wake up Sleeping Dummy. And, I'm not in your room." She jumped in the doorway. "But I am now!" Smoke coming out of my ears, I ran her out of my room. I followed her into the hospital room, where BB lay on the table.

"Are you ready?" Robin and the others were already there. The inscriptions were all in place. Actually, they hadn't done a bad job, for a bunch of commoners.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I managed a weak smile. I sat in the middle of the markings. The candles were lit, and all was in place. "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!"

A vortex whirlpool opened in the middle of the room. Star jumped into Robin's arms. Terra screamed. If I weren't being sucked in toward the rift, I would have laughed. But the current was too strong. I finally gave in and let it drag me into another dimension.

Where am I? 

_I'm in a dark alley. Bad sign. Looking around, I can see a few shadows, but nothing more. Or perhaps not. One of the shadows is moving._

The shadow, which was a monster of some sort, headed toward me. I tried to fight back, but I was powerless. It was closing in on me. Suddenly, two bright lights blinded me. I shielded my eyes. The shadow creature slunk off, muttering curses. The source of the light, the headlights of a moped, skidded to a halt right in front of me.

"Jump on." The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

When there are only two choices and one of them is being eaten by a shadow creature, you take the other choice. So, although I was unsure of who Mr. Moped was, I still gave in. I hopped on, wrapped my arms around his waist for support, and allowed myself to be driven off into the night.

I still didn't know where I was.


	10. In A Very Scary Place

Reunions: Chapter 10- In A Very Scary Place 

"Where exactly are we?" I questioned. I was still on the back of the speeding moped. Looking at our surroundings, I was able to catch a glimpse of what might be a movie theater. Its large marquee advertised its latest feature presentation: _Wicked Scary Five_. I groaned. BB would have loved it here. I didn't have time to dwell on it as we raced by and the theater became a blur of lights once again.

"Don't talk to me while I'm driving!" Mr. Moped, the name I had given him, shouted to me over his shoulder. Now that I had time to look at him, I noticed that he was wearing a black leather jacket, a pair of faded jeans, and a brown short sleeved shirt. For some strange reason, I also noticed that he was somewhat attractive. Boy, this place must have messed with my brain.

"Okay, sorry." I looked away, feeling somewhat, ashamed? Embarrassed? I was unsure. Perhaps a strange mixture of both

"It's cool. I'm sorta paranoid," he explained, then, lowering his voice, said, "especially with those shadows running around."

"Yeah, I saw them back there." I shivered. "What are they?" He skillfully maneuvered the moped around some overturned trash cans; complete with rolled up comic books spilling out into the street from them.

"They're darkness," he murmured, "depressing thoughts. Whenever the man's beating up on himself, a bunch of 'em show up and toss us around. There have been a lot of 'em since the man took that hit to the head. Whenever he's feeling low, we're the ones feeling the pain."

"And, who exactly is this man?" I've faced flame-throwing, mask-wearing villains; evil, sly dragons; and a werebeast. But to be honest, these shadows scared the heck out of me!

"Well," his voice trailed off. I played with a strand of my hair and waited for his reply. How I did this while on the back of a speeding moped, I don't know. Why I was acting so strange, I wasn't sure. I felt rather idiotic. Well, they say ignorance is bliss. He finally continued, "The man's the one running the show. We're just the little people. You know the little voices in your head. Your feelings."

"Oh. So in this case, BB's the man?"

"You got it, babe." Babe? BABE? Did he know whom he was talking to?

"Hey, I'm not some stupid pig who herds a bunch of sheep." Mr. Moped looked away from me. Actually, I had never seen his face.

"Sorry, dude, I mean…. Uh…what's your name?"

"Raven," I replied. At the sound of my name, he skidded to a halt. "Why have we stopped?"

"First of all, we're at headquarters. And second of all, you're Raven?" I nodded. "I can't believe it! The man's been thinking 'bout you." He has?

"Good things, I hope." I waited in awkward silence.

"Mostly good. A little bad," he went on, "a little depressing. He thinks you don't like him. He also feels like all of his attempts to impress you backfired. But otherwise, good. A little too good, if you get my meaning." He cocked his eyebrows and elbowed me in the side.

"No, I don't get your meaning," I stated, backing away from him.

"I think the man's got a little crush on ya, if ya know what I mean." I went red in the face. I'm not sure why. Normally, I would have said how gross that was. But I wasn't thoroughly disgusted. A part of me even enjoyed it.

"So, the man's out of it?"

"Bingo."

"By the way," I mentioned, "you never told me your name." I touched his shoulder, giving him a playful nudge.

"I'm GL," he said while removing his helmet, "but you can call me Mr. Cool. No, too formal. How about just Cool?" Oh. My. This was awkward.

Standing there was GL, Mr. Moped, or Cool. His hair was slicked back with gel, and then restyled. He was still wearing the same outfit as before. He really didn't look that much different than BB. But he was, dare I say it, handsome. Okay, I said it. I scanned his face for any trace of emotion. He had the ears, the green skin, and BB's cute smile. What? He has a cute smile. His emerald green eyes were partially hidden by a pair of black shades. I then looked again at his ears. In a dorky elf way, they were almost…here it comes again…cute. Glancing at his face again, I saw that he was no longer smiling, and seemed rather embarrassed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, with genuine concern. Ooh, new emotion. I'll add it to the list.

"My ears," he said sheepishly. "They're…well…"

"Cute?" I offered. Instead of cheering him up, this comment only made him turn a deeper shade of crimson.

"Thanks." He blushed again. "You're cute too, you know."

"Thanks," I muttered. Boy, this was turning out to be a nice little blushfest.

"So," he changed the subject, "wanna go get pizza? You know, just to talk about where you come from and stuff."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" He turned red again. With his red face and green skin and pointy ears, I felt like I was holding a conversation with one of Santa's elves. I'll add that to the "What to do when bored" list.

"Well, not really." I was crestfallen. No, I didn't drop a tube of toothpaste, dummy. It means I was disappointed. "I'm asking you out on the man's behalf."

"On the man's behalf?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "Whenever a guy finds a girl he really, really likes, he gets the cool side to do the talking. So, that's what's going on here."

"What the heck," I grinned. After all, he seemed nice. Hey, I did it for the man.

"Wait a minute," I started, but he had already started driving. A girl he really, really likes? As in me? I felt like I had missed something. Most of what he had said to me had gone right over my head.

"Here we are," he said, motioning toward the pizza parlor. I gasped. It was an exact replica of the pizza shop back home. Everything from the exterior lighting to the kitchen utensils was precisely identical. I strode over to our favorite table, the one with a squeaky umbrella that always tilted to block the sun. Giving it a few twists, I was delighted to hear the familiar squeaky sound.

"Come on," I urged, grabbing him by the shirt collar and dragging him into a seat.

"You're forceful," he noted. I made a face. "No," he replied, making wild gestures with his arms, "you've got it all wrong. I think it's attractive."

"Pretty soon you won't be able to think at all when I extract the remainder of your brain cells from your head!" I made a menacing fist. Cool just laughed and pushed it away.

"So," he changed the subject, "what do you want?" He offered me a menu. I read it, then smiled. It looks like one detail isn't perfect. The menu was much different:

Tofu Cheese Pizza

Veggie Lovers

Salad

Meatless Spaghetti

I groaned. _Typical Beast Boy._

"How about we just get smoothies?" he offered, noticing the frown on my face.

"That sounds good. I'll take a strawberry." GL went to get us the smoothies. While he was gone, I stared out at the lake. The sun was setting in this alternate dimension. Back at home, Star was probably getting ready for bed. She would change into her pajamas, then walk back into the kitchen, bumping into a sleepy-eyed Terra on the way. Cyborg would be raiding the fridge for a midnight snack. A motherly Starfire would have grudgingly sent Robin, who would've fallen asleep at the table, to bed. It wouldn't be until he was already asleep before he would realize how much he enjoyed her attention.

But there would be something missing. A little comic relief. A little joy in this cruel world. Someone whose philosophy, if he had one, would be, "When life gives you lemons, laugh." BB would remain unconscious. He would not join the others at breakfast. I was brought back to reality by a cold tear running down my cheek.

"You okay?" He was back, and with the smoothies. I unwrapped the straw and put it into the lid. Bringing the straw to my mouth, I took a sip of the smoothie, which was delectable.

"Fine," I responded. But I was suddenly reminded of my purpose, the reason for my journey. "Except there's one thing."

"Shoot."

"In my world, the man's unconscious. A car hit him when he saved my life. I was sent here, well, I came here to get him to snap out of it."

"Well," he pondered it for a moment. "I can take you to the center of the city and of the man. But we gotta watch out. There are shadows everywhere." I nodded.

"Okay. Just let me finish my smoothie."

We drove on for a while, the scenery blurring past as we zoomed toward the heart of town. I noticed that it was getting very late. Last night had been rough. I remained awake for most of the night; first worrying, then meditating to calm myself down, then finally collapsing into my bed. My eyelids drooped, and I rested my head against the back of his leather jacket.

"Here we are," he skidded to a halt, again. How did he get his license? "Control central. Exits are to the left. Thank you for traveling with Speeding Moped Airlines." I chuckled. Yes, really. Leave me alone!

The control center was a long green building with a gray shingled roof. We entered through a pair of sliding glass doors. The entry hall was a long corridor lined with wooden doors. Each had a name engraved into its brass room number sign. As I walked by, I managed to read a few of the names: Department of Hormones, Comedic Committee, and Nervous System Society.

"Here we are." We had reached a door, identical to all of the others. The names on the door read Cool, Love, Brave, and Smart. I had a feeling that I was about to meet some of Cool's roommates. Cool grasped the doorknob, turned it, and went inside. I followed obediently.

"Greetings, acquaintances!" The side of BB who I was talking to was obviously Smart. He was wearing a white polo shirt, a tie, and a pair of khakis. Once again, cute in a dorky way. I have to quit saying that word.

"Hey there! Wanna go skydiving?" Brave was wearing a crash helmet and a leather jacket with a yellow tee shirt bearing the word "extreme" in bold blue letters. He had a few scratches on his cheek, no doubt from his last daring feat. I had met two of them, but where was the other?

"Hey," said a voice from out of the shadows. Out came a third emotion. He was carrying a red rose, but otherwise looked no different from Beast Boy. "This is for you," he said, holding out the rose.

"T-thanks," I stammered. He smiled. In one swift motion, he spun me around, pulled me towards him, and then kissed me. I was hit by a wave of emotions. First surprise and shock. A total and complete stranger was kissing me. Then, confusion. How come Cool, Brave, and Smart were so identifiable, and one of the most powerful emotions looked no different than BB? Finally, realization, and perhaps even love. Maybe Love was really the most honest emotion. Maybe this romantic side was lying under the surface, too shy to show his true feelings.

Suddenly, I remembered that he was still kissing me. Forgetting that Cool and the others were still standing there, dumbstruck, I kissed him back a tiny bit. Okay, more than just a tiny bit. All right, I kissed him! I said it. So there!

"Ahem." Cool cleared his throat and we broke away, blushing. "Sorry," he managed. "Love can be a bit rash."

" I noticed," I managed. Love hung his head. Poor little guy. I hoped that I hadn't hurt his feelings.

"Hey," Smart interjected, "you didn't come here to flirt with emotions. You came here to get the man to snap out of it."

"Yeah," I replied, "and just how do you expect us to do that?"

"Well," he continued, "the main source of the shadows is Depression. Depression thinks that no one likes him. So, we have to convince him otherwise."

"How?" I interrogated. Love was still staring at me as if I was a queen.

"We need to get there, battle the shadows, then remind him of his friends and what he's missing. Are you in?" Cool gave him the thumbs up. Smart nodded eagerly. Brave crossed his arms and nodded. We all turned to look at Love.

"I'm in if she's in," he said, pointing his thumb at me.

"Looks like we're all in," I replied.

**A/N: Wow, my longest chapter ever with the most fluff. Hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, the rights to Babe, or the North Pole.**


	11. Battling the Shadows

Reunions: Chapter 11- Battling the Shadows 

A/N: The chapters seem to be getting longer. I will try to write a few chapters a week, but it's hard to get them posted. I know where this series is going and what my next series will be about. However, there are many events to come. I promise you, Max will return, and Terra, well, you'll just have to wait! Plus, I added a character! Don't ya just love it?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Deal with it.**

"All right, troops," Brave barked, "let's move out!" 

The plan was simple: Cool and I would circle the shadows on his moped. I would use the telephone wires to wrap them together. Then, Brave would parachute down from an airplane that Smart was driving. Finally, Love would yank the wires and pull the shadows into the ocean. Our plan was foolproof.

"Raven, this is Brave," my walkie-talkie crackled. "Do you read me? Over."

"Loud and clear," I replied. "Are the others in place?" I was already on top of the skyscraper from which Cool would drive his moped. The jump would have been impossible, but luckily my telekinesis worked on mopeds.

"All there," he responded. The one I worried most about was Love. After all, he had been following me around like a lost puppy. Literally, because BB's emotions had his shape-shifting ability. "Ready for launch?"

"Aye, aye," Cool responded, "Captain Brains-Over-Brawn." Even with the noise of the traffic and the distance between Cool's walkie-talkie and my ears, I could hear the sound of Smart's voice telling Cool off.

"Ready, princess?" Cool smiled.

"I'm not a princess," I denied.

"I know," he chuckled, "but since you don't like 'babe' and 'dudette' is out of the question, that's all I've got."

"It'll have to do," I replied. I got on the back of the moped and readied myself for the jump; the rush, the strength it took to lift the moped into the air. Cool revved the engine, and we were off

The air rushing up my nostrils was painful. My ears were popping from the change in air pressure. The pure exhilaration of it all was nauseating, and it didn't help to have thousands of rushing cars, all billowing exhaust into the air, right below your feet. In all of the excitement, I almost forgot what I had been assigned to do. But as we fell, closer and closer to the road, I suddenly recalled what I needed to do.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!" I bellowed. A shield of black energy surrounded the moped. It slowed the falling, but it drained my energy. I struggled to stay upright while keeping the moped under my control. My head was spinning, my vision was blurry, and I was feeling faint.

"Are you okay?" Cool asked me. I tried to respond, but my mouth felt dry. My eyelids closed; the moped fell faster. I slid from the seat. Now, the only thing I was holding onto was Cool's leather jacket, which began to tear. I dug my nails in further. I looked down for somewhere to put my feet. Big mistake: I saw the city rushing toward me, and it made me queasy.

"Raven!" Cool yelled, but it was too late. My eyelids closed once again, and I fell from the back of the moped, plummeting towards the ground. It was all over; nothing could save me now.

"I got ya!" said a familiar voice. I felt strong arms surround me for a moment, then felt them disappear as the arms became scales. I opened my eyes and saw the horizon. Looking down at my rescuer, I noted that it was a green bird-like dinosaur. Was it Beast Boy?

My rescuer set me down on the sidewalk near where the shadows were. He turned his back on me and turned into a panther, diving at a shadow and clawing it to the ground. After a few shadows had bit the dust, he turned into the dinosaur again and flew me off in the direction of the busy center of the city. Lights whizzed past as I struggled to hold on to the dinosaur's back. His scales chipped at my skin, and my hands became bloody from the scrapes.

_Are you okay? _A voice rang in my ears.

_How are you talking to me? _I responded.

_I can do anything I want in here, _he replied. _Be quiet now, we're approaching the control center._

_I thought that was the control center, _I said, confused.

_Not the only one, _he assured me. _But back to my first question, are you okay? Your hands are badly scraped and that fall could've killed you._

_Yes, what's it to you? _I replied indignantly.

_Well, I apologize for caring about your safety, _he said somewhat sarcastically.

Now, I could see the main control center, a large silver dome. Through one of its many glass windows I saw workers going about their errands as usual. Each resembled Beast Boy in one way or another. A few times I could've sworn I saw a green wolf, but I think my mind was just playing tricks on me. At last, the green dinosaur landed.

"Thanks for the ride," I started.

The dinosaur was changing. Little by little, it took the form of a human boy. Of course, he was still green and he had pointy ears, but otherwise human. I couldn't figure out which emotion it was, at least, not until he walked over and kissed me on the cheek.

"You're welcome," he replied. "We better take you inside. You're the only one who can stop the shadows from taking over. If they do, he'll never wake up."

"Okay," I sighed. He led me in through a glass door. Inside, the workers were busy as ever. One bumped into me and apologized. Seeing who I was, he tipped his hat and moved on, but walked backwards, still staring at me. This resulted in him knocking into another worker's tray and spilling its contents.

"Is he Clumsy?" I asked.

"No," Love replied, smiling. "You're just well-liked here."

I groaned. I would never hear the end of this. We continued on, not stopping until we reached a door labeled, "Control Room." Love entered his password, then led me inside. The walls were lined with rows of computers. Workers occupied most, but a few remained empty. All was quiet as I closed the door behind me.

"You all know Raven, right?" Hearing my name, several workers jumped, and one, who was in mid swallow, spit out his coffee. After they got over the initial shock, they returned to work. "Come on," he said, "I'll show you my computer."

"Wow." Inside his computer were files. Some began with names, others with places, and some with strange objects. "What's this one?" I asked, pointing to a file titled "Incense."

"He likes the smell of it," he replied. "And we have you to thank for that," he added.

"But why?" I was still really confused.

"Because," he replied smiling, "you smell like it! Now, here's a file you might find interesting." He clicked on a file entitled Friends and Acquaintances. There were thousands of files; some based on first impression, some based on years of knowing them. I was shocked to find a file with my name on it. "Go on," he urged, "open it."

My picture came up on the screen.

Name: Raven

Age: 20

Hair: Violet

Eyes: Dark Purple

Personality: changeable, can be somewhat irritable, also very nice, feels alone

His opinion: very likable, mysterious, intelligent, interesting

Current Status: crush

"WHAT? What the heck does that mean?" I demanded, grabbing Love by the collar.

"It means, uh, could you put me down?" I did as he asked. "It means he likes you a lot. It also means there is potential for a relationship. So, any other files you'd like to see?"

_Terra_, my mind screamed _TERRA!_ Still I fought it. "No thanks," I said through gritted teeth. "Could you take me to the main room? I want him to wake up, and I would really like to get out of here."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The main room was simple. A bed, a desk, comic books, video games-hey! This was an exact replica of BB's room in Titans Tower. There was no one in sight. But at last I spotted one pointed ear sticking out from behind the bed.

"Go away!" He shouted over the music to his Gamestation game, the one Robin got him for Christmas. "I'm busy!"

"Can I talk to you?" I asked, speaking for the first time. He put down his game and stared at me in disbelief.

"Raven? How did you get in here?"

"Well," I began, "I used a spell to enter your mind. I was supposed to bring you back, but then I ran into the shadows. And," I pointed to Love, "this doofus."

"That's a term of affection, right?" he asked. I shook my head.

"So, what I'm trying to say is, the whole team wants you back."

"No they don't," he denied. "I'm just a pest. No one likes me. And I don't have a chance with…the girl I love," he said finally.

"True," I agreed, "you can be a nuisance, but we still like you. We're your friends. We don't care. And, if it weren't for you, I'd be the one unconscious right now."

"Yeah, but what about love?" he shot back. "Name one person who loves me."

Now what was I going to say? "Uh," I started.

"See, you can't! Now, why should I come back?"

"Well, I do know someone." A smile shot across his face. "She's really shy, and she's not completely sure. But she likes you enough to risk her life and go into your mind just to get you out." I finished, then realized that I had said too much. Way too much.

"You-" The appearance of another vortex cut him off. The spell was wearing off. Perhaps one of its conditions was that I had to admit something in order for it to be completed. Instead of fighting it, I prepared myself to dive into its center.

"You promise you'll come back?" I asked him, just to be sure.

"Promise. I'll never forget you!" he shouted after me. He said something more, but the vortex swallowed me and drowned out his words. It pulled me in then set me down again, but this time in the Titans Tower hospital room. Beast Boy was still unconscious. The others were staring at me, looking disappointed.

"Oh no," I gasped, "I failed. He's still unconscious."

"That's okay, Raven," Robin comforted me. "You gave it your best shot. We're all really proud of you." The others nodded. But our sudden reunion was broken by a sleepy voice.

"What time is it? I need waffles." It was Beast Boy! I hadn't failed. Without thinking, I rushed over and gave him a hug. "Raven, you're choking me!"

"Sorry," I said, "but I was so worried. I thought you'd never wake up again."

"Hey," Cyborg suggested, "why don't we go get pizza to celebrate? Of course, someone's gonna have to share with Beast Boy, and I refuse to eat tofu cheese again."

"Not me," the others chorused.

"What about you, Raven?" Terra asked.

"I volunteer," I replied, "as long as we can get smoothies."

As we walked off toward the T-car, with Terra and Robin fighting over the front seat next to Cyborg, Beast Boy approached me. "Just wanted to thank you for saving me."

"It's okay," I replied. "I owed you one."

"I'm sorry about before. Believe me, I don't like Terra that way anymore."

"Do you like anyone that way?" I asked curiously.

"Yes," he said, "as a matter of fact, I do."

"Who is it?" I questioned.

"You'll find out in time."

"_Yes, indeed. In time, everything shall fall into place. We will find the girl. She will serve you as she was destined to. She will learn to obey you, Master."_

"_Excellent. The prophecy shall prove true."_


	12. Of All the Rotten Luck

Reunions: Chapter 12- Of All the Rotten Luck! 

**A/N: I was at a loss when it came to me. A new face, a new couple, perhaps a new love triangle. Terra's not the only one getting a second chance. What was a bad thing has become a fresh start. Hope you like.**

**Boring Disclaimer: Don't own the Teen Titans and blah, blah, blah…**

It was metal, all metal. The door consisted of solid steel bars, ominous and threatening. Four bunk beds lined its walls. A similar door led to an alcove, where there was a sink for washing up, and another room with a bathtub and a toilet. I strode over to the main door and looked down the hallway. Several burly guards were patrolling the hall. Squinting, I could just read the sign over the desk in the lobby. Welcome to Jump City Juvenile Correctional Facility, it read.

Waking up and not remembering whom you are is bad. Waking up and not knowing where you are or whom you are is worse. But waking up in a jail cell with no memory of your identity whatsoever, you know you've reached an all-time low.

I walked into the bathroom and stared at the cracked mirror. Seven years bad luck. I wondered whose life the seven years had ruined. My reflection didn't help me to figure out who I was. I glanced at my pale skin and my strange, purple hair, which was styled into two stuck out pigtails. _Who was I? A criminal?_

"Hey," a voice grunted, "she's awake." The voice of one of my roommates, I presumed. I strode back into the room, hoping that perhaps one of them would be my friend. The girl who had first spoken had light brown hair and deep brown eyes. Like me, she was wearing an orange jump suit with Jump City Juvenile Correctional Facility on it. Hers also had a label: Prisoner 1509, Toni.

"Is your name Toni?" It was a stupid question, but I had nothing else to ask.

"No, it's Bernard. Of course it's Toni!" she bellowed. I shrunk back and hung my head. "Oh, great," she mumbled, "just great. All we need is another spineless sap."

"Why am I here?" I wondered aloud. This question caused most of the others to snicker.

"Well, duh!" Toni laughed. "You're a criminal, like us. This is a prison for super powered teen criminals only, like yourself."

I looked at my hands. "What sort of powers do I have?"

Toni shrugged. "You have, like, bad luck powers or something. They call you Jinx. I have power over ice, and power over pathetic individuals like yourself."

"I'm not pathetic!" I shouted indignantly.

"Okay, then," she said as she approached me. "Prove it."

"How?"

"Simple," she laughed. "Fight me."

I should have run. I should have told them that I didn't belong here. But Toni froze the floor in front of me. I slipped and fell on the ice. She conjured a few sharp icicles, then aimed them towards my head. Ducking just in time, they merely grazed my shoulder. I summoned all of my courage, then closed my eyes and aimed it at Toni. I was pushed against the wall by a sudden force. I thought it was Toni at first, but then realized it had come from the powerful purple blast I had just released.

The others stood and watched, merely amused by our fighting. Toni kept dodging my blows. Amnesia had weakened me, and my powers were draining my energy. She was able to shoot multiple icicles from all directions. A few scraped my cheek, and I cowered in the corner. A sudden blow to the head from the blunt side of an icicle rendered me helpless. It was over. Toni had won.

"Later, loser. Let's get lunch," she said to the others. They left, stepping over me to reach the door. As the last one closed it with a mighty clank, all hope left me. Who would save someone like me, a common criminal, if even other criminals didn't?

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud sonic boom. About two thirds of the room's plaster broke away from the walls. Hoping it wasn't another bully, I got to my feet, prepared to fight. Instead of criminals, however, the gang who had broken into my room looked more like a sad excuse for a team of heroes. I began to summon a spell, but was stopped by one of the three girls. She had violet colored hair and was strangely familiar.

"We're busting you outta this joint," said one of the three boys. He had pieces of machinery stuck to him, but was otherwise handsome.

"Sleep," whispered the violet hair girl, and I could not keep myself awake.

"Is she waking up?"

"I think so."

I opened my eyes and saw them staring down at me again. This was the perfect time for me to learn more about them and myself. One of the boys was checking some monitors. He had jet-black hair, which was spiky and perfectly styled. He wore the standard super hero getup, complete with an identity-hiding mask. Another had green skin, pointy ears and green spiky hair, and then there was the cute, half-robot, sporty one. The other girls both had long hair. One's was blonde, and the other's was red. The blonde had penetrating ice blue eyes. The redhead's eyes were piercing green with tiny little eyebrows.

"Where am I?" I moaned. There was still pain in my shoulder, but it had lessened.

"Titans Tower," answered the girl who had put me to sleep. "We're the Teen Titans. We heard that there were a few prisoners in Jump City's jail who had been under mind control and lost all memory in the process of rehabilitation. Although we don't normally rescue criminals, we made an exception for you."

"Mind control? By whom?" I questioned, still oblivious to what was going on.

"Brother Blood," answered the tall, handsome one. "You were a part of the HIVE Academy. Looks like we brought you here just in time. Raven, could you heal her again?" he said, turning to the cloaked girl. "Her arm's bleeding. Man, who did that to you?"

"Toni," I replied. "She was one of the other girls in the prison cell. I was supposed to fight her to gain respect."

"So," said the spiky-haired boy. "You really don't remember who you are?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, although this mind control business is a lot of rotten luck, you could seize the opportunity and start life over. You know, as a good girl."

"I say we let her in," the half-robot stated.

"Cyborg," Raven interrupted, "I don't know about this. She could endanger the team."

"Or," he retorted, "she could be a valuable asset. I say we take a vote."

"Personally," said the blonde girl, "I sympathize with her. You gave me a second chance and just look at me now. So, I vote yes."

"I would love to have a new friend," the redhead agreed, "even if she was an old enemy."

"I don't know," the green boy spoke. "I agree with Raven. She could be dangerous. Plus, how do we know this isn't another trap? We can't trust newbies without knowing them first. No offense, Terra."

"Well," Raven sighed, "you know my vote. I'm actually surprised you agreed with me, Beast Boy." So that was the green kid's name. It made me wonder what sort of powers he had.

I vote yes," declared Cyborg. He smiled at me. At least, I think it was at me.

"That settles it." The spiky-haired kid offered me his hand and helped me up. "I'm Robin. This is Beast Boy, Raven, Terra, Cyborg, and Starfire."

"I know the others," I replied, "but who's Terra and who's Starfire?"

"Terra's the blonde," he informed me, "and Starfire's the really pretty redhead."

"Um," Raven started, "You just called Star really pretty, Robin." Robin turned bright red.

"Well, Jinx," Cyborg finished, "welcome to the Teen Titans."

Isn't it funny how what starts out as a bad day can turn into a good one? What I thought was bad luck was really good luck in disguise.


	13. The Seventh Wheel

**Warning:** this chapter may contain some slight Terra bashing. Don't worry, it will all work out for our little earth-controlling friend, seeing as without this chapter she would never meet some very important people later on.

**Disclaimer: **My numerous efforts to own the Teen Titans have failed. Back to the drawing board…

Reunions: Chapter Thirteen-The Seventh Wheel 

"Starfire?" Robin asked, leaning across the couch to whisper in her ear.

"Yes?" she asked eagerly. Balancing here was tricky, but I had a perfect view of the main room from where I was perched.

"There's something I have to tell you." He took a deep breath. "I know I tend to push everyone away, but I don't really like to. Also, you changed all of us when you came here. I never opened up this much until then. You really mean a lot to me. What I'm trying to say is, Starfire, I-"

"Whoa, uh-oh, oof!" There was a loud crash as I toppled off of the refrigerator and landed on the kitchen table. I'm getting sick of falling flat on my face. Bruises and my perfect skin do not mix.

"Terra, where exactly did you come from?" Robin asked. In the corner, Raven was reading a book. Glancing over it, she quickly lowered her eyes, but at times the book would shake, and I knew she found all of this really funny.

"Will you buy that I was dusting off the top of the fridge?" Hey, a girl can try, can't she?

"No. Raven, did you know she was up there?" Robin questioned. I made frantic motions behind his back, trying to get Raven's attention. Perhaps she would take pity on me and spare me. Wait, who am I kidding? Raven, take pity on me?

"Yes. I just didn't want to ah, interrupt anything. Especially what we've been waiting for so long. Thanks a lot, Terra. If he said he loved her, I'd be fifteen bucks richer." Raven's comment caused Starfire to turn away and Robin to blush. Seeming mildly amused, Raven left for her room.

"Terra…get out of this room. Now." Robin practically shoved me through the door, wearing a scowl on his face.

"Well, fine! I can tell when I'm not wanted. You don't have to spell it all out for me." I stormed off. When I'm angry, I tend to be very stupid. So I didn't see Raven, engrossed in some stupid book which I could totally read faster than her. I bumped right into her, causing her to drop her book and lose her place.

"Watch it, Terra! I don't have a photographic memory, you know. Now I don't know where I was in that book." Raven gave me her evil death stare. I'll be honest, I half expected laser beams to shoot out of those eyes.

"Sorry. You really shouldn't be reading and walking at the same time, though." Really didn't need to say that. I really shouldn't have, too.

"You know Terra," she said while dusting herself off, "we're doing you a really big favor by letting a thing like you stay. We really didn't need to, but we did it because it was right. So I'm gonna say this once, and only once. Things have changed a lot since you left. I had my heart broken once. I don't want it to happen again."

"Really? You had a heart? And what's that supposed to mean?" I really need to learn when to shut up. Raven approached me. Keep in mind, I'm a stick skinny fourteen-year-old and she's a tough twenty-year-old. Grabbing me by the shirt collar, she pushed me against the wall.

"It means that you accept the results of your actions. Don't go meddling in other people's business. You gave up something really great. If you treat anyone like that, you simply don't deserve that person's attention, or affection for that matter."

"Oh," I said, smirking. "I get it, Raven. This is about Beast Boy. Say, do you have any suggestions as to who does deserve him?" Raven ignored me and pushed me further into the wall.

"Yeah," she spat. "Plenty."

I seized the opportunity and grabbed hold of a handful of her hair. Raven yelped in pain, releasing her grip on my shoulders. I ran out of the room with Raven in hot pursuit. She kicked me in the shin. I fell to the ground, howling in pain and clutching my hurt leg. Raven gasped, realizing how out of control she had gotten. Jinx rushed over to me, eager to see if I was okay.

"Terra," Raven stammered, "I'm so sorry. My emotions got out of control. I should have never let any fall through the cracks."

"It's okay. Now could you all back up? I need my space. The leg really doesn't hurt too bad." Raven helped me up, allowing me to use her as a support. Jinx offered to walk me back to my room. I lay down on my bed and picked up my latest issue of Fashion Weekly. Just as I was about to find out who Hollywood's hottest guys were, the alarm went off. I find that extremely cliché, but that's just me.

"Trouble," said Jinx. She was only going to be a member of the team as long as she could control her powers and remain an upstanding citizen. Still, she was grateful for any help, and agreed to help us in return.

"Okay," I sighed, wishing that for once the bad guy would give it a rest.

When we arrived at the scene of the crime, I was shocked. Hate coursed through me as I found myself staring at the dark pupil of a single eye, glaring out at the world with contempt. With half his face in shadow and all of it hidden, I couldn't tell which one it was. Being his apprentice, I had known all of Slade's nasty little secrets, including the family lineage. I had a feeling that it was Max, who would've recently come of age.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. Raven and I attacked Slade first, using our powers to lift earth and debris and propel them towards him. Slade fired a blast from a gun in his hands, which knocked Raven backward against a wall. She fell to the ground. Slade then turned to me. I summoned my strength and created a massive rift in the floor, separating us. Being a foolish boy, Max attempted to jump across, but fell in. It wasn't too deep, but he wouldn't be able to fight for the rest of the battle. Suddenly, the floor beneath me became slippery. I fell, once again flat on my face. Brushing myself off, I found myself staring at my attacker: a girl with blue eyes, light brown hair, and a serious attitude.

"Toni?" Jinx said in disbelief. I hadn't noticed her before, but I realized now that she was Max's apprentice. Toni took in a deep breath, then exhaled on Robin, who promptly froze. Jinx regained her strength and sent her flying with one blast of purple energy. A few more blasts and Toni was finished. The bank official put handcuffs around them both.

"Well, that was short-lived, eh, Max?" I taunted. I looked around me at the aftermath. Raven had a cut on her arm, and Robin was still frozen solid. Beast Boy pulled out a first aid kit, and attempted to wrap Raven's arm up, but wound up tangled in the surgical tape instead. Raven actually found this amusing, but finally helped him untangle and allowed him to fix her arm. A few times his hand brushed against hers and he had to pause to hide his blush.

Meanwhile, Starfire was attempting to defrost Robin. She used her starbolts to melt the thick outer shell of ice, then wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. He was still shivering, so she decided to try the "huddle together for warmth" strategy and threw her arms around his neck. This caused Robin to blush and then get a stupid smile on his face, but it did the trick.

Cy was congratulating Jinx on a job well done. He high-fived her, then proceeded in asking her about Toni. They became engrossed in a conversation about car mechanics and the Jump City Juvenile…you know the rest. Two very unrelated things, but somehow it worked out.

Suddenly, I'm feeling like the seventh wheel. Okay, so cars only have four wheels, big deal. But you know what I mean. Robin and Star obviously have each other. The team's known that since day one. And it was pretty obvious that Raven and Beast Boy would get together someday, obvious to everyone but themselves, that is. Now Cy and Jinx are talking like they're old friends. How come I'm the only one without a special friend? Someone who really understands me and cares about me, that's what I need. I continued to dwell on this depressing thought on the ride back to the tower.


	14. Burdens

A/N: This chapter has a bunch of fluff. Not pointless fluff, just a little extra fluff to keep knightfire and the other Rob/Star fanatics who can't wait for them to officially become a couple happy and away from my remote island where I write (wishful thinking). Enjoy, fans, cause this is your (Insert holiday of your choice) present.

**Disclaimer: Sorry, I don't own the Teen Titans and I am not the head writer, but you can still have an autograph if you really want one. **

Reunions: Chapter Fourteen-Burdens 

"Robin," I started, "it's late and you are still not asleep. You remain working on the criminal files. What is troubling, I mean what's up?" Robin yawned, stretching his arms. It was already ten o'clock at night, and I was worried. Robin was always very determined, especially when it came to Slade.

"Star," he moaned, "you're not asleep either. I'm just working on some files. Slade has been back twice already and we still have no idea who he really is. Perhaps Terra could share a few of his secrets. Which brings me back to my original question, what are you doing up this late?"

I took a seat beside him. "It's Terra that has me worried. She caused Raven to lose her calm demeanor and become violent. Also, she hardly pulls her own weight in battle. Plus, with the addition of Jinx, you seem even more stressed than normal."

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's just, Terra doesn't seem to be a positive addition to the team. She may be a good friend, but she's out of practice. Jinx could fight in her place, and meanwhile Terra could be doing other things."

"Like, perhaps a job?" I suggested.

Robin practically leapt out of his seat. "That's a great idea, Starfire!" he exclaimed. I smiled, letting his compliment sink in. For some reason I did not know of, his compliments always meant more to me than those of the others. Perhaps it was because he told me these things with complete sincerity.

"Wonderful! Terra will get a job, you will stop the worrying, and perhaps Raven and Beast Boy will finally find happiness!" I gasped, realizing what the last words meant. "I mean, they will realize…true love will…"

"It's okay, Star," Robin reassured me. "I can sorta see it too. Raven has a strange way of showing her feelings. Plus, you saw how she took care of him when he got hurt. She even kissed him on the forehead. I guess opposites really do attract," he laughed.

"We are quite close to being the opposites," I mumbled.

"What's that you said?" Robin questioned. I blushed; I had not intended for him to hear those words.

"You said that the opposites attract," I restated, "and I said that we are quite close to being the opposites."

Robin blushed. "I suppose we are, you being open-minded and happy, and me being serious and stubborn. But do you really think that we would, you know, make a good couple?"

"I never said that," I denied. "Not that I wouldn't really like it. I mean I really like …you make me feel…I love…"

"You love, what?" he asked, leaving me in a very awkward position.

"I love…your smile." It was, as you would say, the lame, but it got me off, as you would say, the hook.

"Thanks," he replied, grinning. I really did like his smile, as well as everything else about him. "I like your eyes, and your smile, too," he continued. "As a matter of fact, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. You've been here a long time, and as your friend, I owe it to you to be completely honest. Starfire, I-"

"Hey, who wants pizza?" inquired a loud annoying voice. It belonged to a girl who was beginning to really get on my nerves. This was the second time she had interrupted Robin today. I was sick of her ruining these special moments. Later on, though, I would imagine them again, only fix the ending to something happy. It's times like these when I wish my life were more like the romantic movies where it all worked out for everyone.

"No thanks, Terra," Robin grumbled, obviously disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I hate to see him sad, but it made me happy to know that he had wanted the moment to happen as much as me.

"Okay, well, how about-" Now the interrupting became the interrupted as the alarm went off yet again.

"Hold that thought, Terra," I replied anxiously. I turned to Robin and said, "Another alarm, and this late at night! This has to be a major emergency."

I was right. When we arrived at the scene of the crime, innocent shoppers were fleeing the scene, leaving their carts full. A boy with green eyes and dark brown hair was shooting gusts of air out of his palms, forcing a display of Captain Fudge's Cocoa Navy cereal against the wall. Cackling, he grabbed the cereal and shoved it into his mouth.

"You'll never take back my cereal! Captain Fudge is my idol," screamed the rather odd villain. He then proceeded to place the empty box on his head like a hat, and stand on a crate while orchestrating some invisible symphony. "And, one, two three!"

Terra shoved him into a wall using her powers. Jinx forced him upward with a few purple blasts. I flew up and caught him, lowering him in Raven's trap. He was then trapped in an overturned shopping cart.

"Are we playing zoo? I'll be the bear!" He was quite immature, even for a super villain.

"No, we're taking you to jail," Robin stated grimly. The boy continued to make growling noises. "Hey Star, where's Terra?"

We all turned around and saw Terra approaching us, sporting a shiny new nametag and a uniform consisting of a white shirt, a black skirt, and a brown apron. Behind her the manager of Richie's Bar and Grill was removing the Help Wanted sign from the window.

"You got a job!" I cheered, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. It was unintentional, but I think I gave her a few bruises.

"Yeah," she laughed. "Seeing as I haven't been helping the team much, I decided to put a little money in the team bank account. I'm waiting tables at Richie's. The manager was really nice, especially considering the last job on my resume. He gave me a chance to help you help other people. I'm really happy about it."

So was everyone else as we headed back to the tower. I realized that I was happier than the others were because Robin's burden had been lifted. We walked back in silence, letting the night sky drown our tiny shadows.


	15. Help Wanted

A/N: I'm going to wrap this up in a few more chapters. There will be a sequel, narrated by a new face that is going to kill me if she doesn't get out of my head. I assure you, it will be full of surprises and humor. Also, I have gotten a few complaints about my changing point of view. Sorry, but I like the way I write this. It keeps you guys on your toes!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, though I have impersonated one of their head writers in an attempt to take over the network in the name of the Eternal Flame. It didn't work. **

Reunions: Chapter Fifteen- Help Wanted 

"Hi, my name is Tara, and I'll be your waitress," said the blonde fourteen-year-old a little too enthusiastically. I sighed. It had been a long day. These days an ex-criminal who has just been booted out of his secret guild gets absolutely no respect. I was at a small café in the middle of Jump City. The very city I nearly took over. Well, all things happen for a reason. "Sir? Excuse me, but may I take your order?"

"Oh," I replied. "Sorry, didn't hear you there."

"That's quite all right," she said politely. Her voice was very familiar. As she smoothed out her uniform I glanced at her arm. I noticed a small band of metal, as if she were concealing an entire suit made out of the stuff. I slapped my forehead in realization. Great, the last person I wanted to see. "May I take your-"

"A coffee, black. And get me some of those scones while you're at it." I interrupted, talking right over her. Quiet, submissive. Takes orders. Perfect disposition for a waitress. Though I must say that this job was inadequate for one with her skill. Ah, well. Easy come, easy go.

"Fine," she muttered, shaking her head as she hurried into the kitchen. It had been a long time since I had seen her. Actually, I hadn't seen much of anyone lately. Nothing peculiar about a lonely elderly gentleman with gray hair and a sad smile. Better to be safe than sorry, though. "Here you go," she said while offering me the tray, breaking my train of thought.

"Here, sit down." I pulled a chair out for her. "So, how have you been doing, Terra?"

She appeared startled. "Fine, thanks. Why you ask?"

"Well, your life has been completely turned around. Once you were a dignified apprentice, I mean, a common criminal. And now here you are, living with the Titans and serving coffee to an old man like me. I've seen many super powered teens in my day, and you are, by far, the most powerful and well behaved. You have an uncommon sense of right and wrong, Terra, you just never listened to it. Until you had it all, unfortunately for me," I sighed, staring into my coffee cup.

"How do you know all of this?" she demanded. So, she's not quite so naïve as she once was.

"Allow me to introduce myself," I replied, a smirk growing across my face. "My name is Marius, and I've just been booted out of the noble guild of copper and black." Terra dropped her tray. Ah, my words had a lasting effect on the girl. She left me with the bill, a shocked look on her face, and continued to the next table.

Meanwhile, a group of five teenagers in strange getups was entering the diner. A girl with brown hair, green eyes, and dark skin was arguing with a pale redheaded boy. She was wearing a striped yellow and black sleeveless shirt that had a turtleneck collar. She also had on black pants with a yellow belt, complete with two gold letters attached. The boy was in a matching red shirt and pair of pants. His shirt bore the initial, "S".

"I told you we should've asked for directions," the girl complained as her companions entered the café. "You men are so stubborn. Won't get help when you really need it. At least we girls are smart enough to know when to call in for backup."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, waving away her insults with his hand. "At least we're here. Let's stop for a bit, then surprise Cyborg and his team with a visit." The remainder of the team, a dark-haired boy and two short twins, followed them. The dark-haired boy threw up his hands in disgust.

"Speedy, Bee," he complained. "We've been on the road for three hours, and I think we're all sick of you guys fighting." The twins nodded their heads. "Why don't you, Mas, and Menos go find us a table?"

"And where will you be, Aqualad?" Speedy smirked. "Signing autographs? Asking girls for their numbers? Because you're so much more important than us," he droned.

"I have to use the little boy's room," he whispered so audibly that I heard him from the table at which I sat.

"Oh," was all Speedy said in reply. Aqualad disappeared down the hallway that led to the restrooms. The girl I presumed to be Bee and the twins found a tabled and started paging through the menu. Speedy groaned, then sat down, checking his reflection in the glossy menu cover. Seeing the new customers, Terra rushed over to their table.

"Hi," she said, hardly pausing for a breath before moving on. "My name is Tara, and I'll be your waitress. What can I get you?"

"I'll have waffles," Bee replied. "They'll take nachos, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a ham sandwich." She pointed to each of her team members in turn.

"No," Speedy protested. "I want the seafood chowder."

"You crazy, boy? Aqualad's gonna kill you." They went back and forth for a while, until finally Speedy got the chowder and reserved the sandwich for Aqualad. Terra delivered the order to the kitchen, then returned with a tray of food.

"Say," she said, expertly balancing the tray. "Where is this Aqualad?" Terra never saw him as he exited the men's room. He turned to wave to a fan, then collided into Terra. The food went flying, seafood chowder landing on Terra's head. "I'm sorry, mister, uh Aqualad, sir," she apologized. Aqualad brushed himself off then offered his hand to Terra. Wiping the chowder from her face, Terra's eyes met Aqualad's.

And she fell madly in love.

Aqualad helped her up. "Thanks," she stammered, still blushing. Aqualad smiled at her. I could tell he found her pretty, despite the chowder. Terra looked as if she were about to faint. Speedy pretended to be sick, then eyed the ham sandwich hungrily. Ignoring Bee's look of disgust, he dug in.

"No problem. I'm Aqualad, and we're the Titans East. We dropped by to see the Teen Titans."

"Really?" Terra said eagerly. "I'm staying with them right now."

"Why don't you get yourself cleaned up, then head back home with us?" Bee suggested. Terra nodded in agreement.

"The meal's on me!" she shouted over her shoulder as she headed to the girl's room. Aqualad and Bee burst into laughter. Terra soon emerged, much cleaner than before. As she headed out, I called her over to me.

"Yes?"

"You forgot something," I said, smiling. "Your tip." I pressed a small steel box into her hands. It had a single copper button on it.

"What is it?" she asked, still confused.

"The remote control that disables that nasty neuro interface. Yes, I know all about your past. My technology has become quite obsolete, and seeing as you are no longer my apprentice, I feel no shame in giving this to you." I admired my work. Great, she looked so confused. Then, reality dawned on her, and she smiled, then grimaced.

"Gotta go!" she shouted, running off with a look of horror on her face. Ah, yes, it was nice to see Terra again. Although I'm still clueless about one thing: how does she balance that tray with such skill?


	16. The Beginning of the End

A/N: I'm back! This time, with the beginning of the end of my story. Brace yourself for another plot centered around Raven, more of my favorite couple (not telling you who), and another reunion. But let's just say this time, one family member really doesn't want to go. As if they had a choice in the matter!

**Disclaimer: The world is ending. Raven's worst nightmare is back. And I still don't own those Teen Titans!**

Reunions: Chapter Sixteen -The Beginning of the End (Family Reunion) 

It was a normal day. I was sitting in the main room of Titans Tower, calmly meditating. I could feel my soul rising out of my body. It was a wonderful feeling, being lifted up like that. Although it can be tedious, meditating helped keep me from unleashing my full power. But currently, I was meditating to help me accept my newfound feelings for Beast Boy. Before I had tried to hide it, but that caused me too much internal pain. Then, I denied it, but it just kept growing with every shake of my head. All my efforts were in vain. So, I took a different approach, and embraced it. As I contemplated this, I became aware of a presence beside me.

"Beast Boy?" I called as my eyes snapped open. He was sitting on the sofa beside me, resting his head on his fist. From the looks of it, he had been watching me meditate. There was a look of unmistakable admiration plastered across his face. "What are you doing exactly? I mean, you're staring at me. Surely you can't enjoy watching me meditate. I'm not like a cartoon or something."

"Yeah," he said sleepily, "I was. And when I say that, I mean that I was watching you meditate and thoroughly enjoying it. You looked so calm and peaceful, and I couldn't help it. Ever since you went into my mind, I've wanted to learn more about you. You seem really cool."

I smiled. "Thanks. It's nice to know someone actually cares about me. I can tell you genuinely want to be my friend. My powers let me sense certain emotions, and I've always had good intuition."

He frowned, then wrinkled his forehead. A sudden thought that he looked cute popped up in my head, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I have no need for love. Love is unnecessary. "So," he said finally, "if I had a crush on someone, right now, would you know? Hypothetically, of course."

"I guess," I replied, not wanting him to know the truth. "Well, there's one thing. Anytime I get too close to someone; I brush up against their mind. So, if you accidentally touched my hand, I would get a sort of energy blast. It's like a little aura of whatever that person is feeling." I sighed, relieved to have finally told someone. "And vice versa. At times you can feel what I'm feeling, too. It depends on the strength of the bond and what emotions we're both feeling. Love and hate will cancel out. But mutual hatred or love will affect both." I made a mental note never to touch Beast Boy's hand.

"Oh," he said. It was all he needed to say. An understanding passed between us, reminding me of what it had been like when I was growing up, raised by Azar. "So, can I meditate with you?" he asked, almost eagerly.

"Sure," I replied. "Just find your center." He did as I told him to. Once in a while he would mispronounce a word, which I would correct. At one time he even talked in a country music style accent. These voices that he did left us both in a laughing fit for a few minutes, but I would quickly regain my serious expression and start over. It continued on like this for a while, until something happened.

We had just gotten over his latest joke, in which he had tried to spell Zinthos backwards. I resumed my position, but Beast Boy was having a little trouble. I had my eyes closed, but I could tell that he was about to fall. He slipped and grabbed my hand for support, then held it for a few seconds. My eyes snapped open and we both recoiled, letting go as if we had just touched a hot piece of metal. I might as well have.

Because I was blown backward by the force of the aura that I had come into contact with. It was the strongest emotional energy force I had ever known of. A few minutes after the initial effect, I glanced at Beast Boy, who had apparently felt the same thing and reacted in the same way.

"So," he said slowly. "That's it? From your description, I thought for sure it would be stronger. And I don't even feel the emotional part yet. I guess it canceled out." He hung his head, almost disappointed. I was a bit disappointed too. I guess we really didn't feel the same way about each other. Suddenly, he sat upright, looking much happier.

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" The words were hardly out of my mouth when I felt it too. A wave of concern, compassion, and understanding. It was full of the desire to be friends, or perhaps something more. It was indescribable, but unmistakable. This was love, I could tell. Not just one-sided love, but mutual love. It was nothing like the petty crushes and trifle romances girls get themselves into.

"So," Beast Boy said, breaking the silence as the effect faded. "Looks like I stand corrected. What do you know, it didn't cancel out." Another silence followed.

"Do you want to try meditating again?" I offered. He nodded. I slipped into conscious sleep, trying to focus but finding myself looking for the aura again. It wasn't long before I gave up fighting and opened my eyes. I was surprised to find Beast Boy with his eyes opened too.

"Raven? You said that love and hate cancel each other out," he began. "So, they're like opposites."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But opposites don't always cancel each other out. In fact, love and hate almost go hand in hand. It's ironic."

He nodded, as if he understood what I really meant. "Some people even say that," he gulped, "that opposites attract."

"I've heard that before," I droned, careful to show no emotion whatsoever.

"Do you believe it?" he said, looking as if he wished he could swallow his words and take it all back.

"Yes," I said, not even thinking about why he wanted to know. It dawned on me, and I felt my face getting hot.

"It's okay, Raven," he said, sensing my regret. "I believe it too. I didn't before, but then I met someone who showed me just how true it could be."

"I gotta go. Sudden inspiration for a poem. You know, the kind that you have to get out before it eats you alive. I know you're not into the whole poem thing, but I really like it. Not all of mine are so depressing. Some are even about happiness." It was true, but it was also a quick save.

Surprisingly, he understood. "I got sudden inspiration once, but it wasn't for a poem."

"No?" I questioned. "What was it for, then?"

"A macaroni sculpture."

I erupted in a fit of giggles. Just by being himself, Beast Boy had made my day. "Later," I called to him, still laughing.

"Hey, Rae, wait!" I turned around, wondering what he wanted. "Sometime," he said, running to catch up with me, "could I read your poetry?"

"Sure." I smiled. It wasn't like him to be so caring. Or perhaps I just never noticed. He smiled back at me as I shut the door to my room. I flopped on the bed, drained from feeling so much. I then realized that he hadn't called me by my real name. He had called me Rae. No one had ever called me that before.

There was a sickening crunch as three feet of sheet rock collapsed to the ground. I jumped up, startled but not defenseless. A shadow was emerging from the rubble, which had once been my wall. I glimpsed two pairs of glowing green eyes, too close together to belong to more than one person. There were only two types of creatures with two sets of eyes, and it was too large to be one of the ravens from my mirror. This thing was a demon.

I prepared myself for a fight. The thing threw a few handfuls of sheet rock at my head. I encased them in dark energy, tossing them effortlessly to the ground. Some of my power feeds on negative energy. I have to find one reason why I am fighting my enemy. A flaw, a reason, anything. I chose the only one I knew: it could work for my father.

"Please," it spoke. The demon had a thick Transylvanian accent. As he emerged, I saw that he had black skin, which seemed to swallow up all of my hope. His white hair flowed over his pointed ears. The outfit he was wearing bore the symbol of Trigon's army. It was a spy. "I do not wish to fight you."

"Like I care what you wish," I spat. "You're all alike. You must be here for me. Am I needed for some prophecy? To boost your army's strength?"

"Please," he said, sinking into a deep bow. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Heraldio, son of Reganon, youngest brother of Trigon, and uncle of you. I am here to take you to a little reunion. Your father wishes to see you again."

"No!" I shouted. "I won't let you take me there."

"You will allow me to transport you to headquarters!" he bellowed.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in my doorway. "You heard the lady," it said. "She's not going. At least," he said, revealing his face to us, "not if I have anything to say about it."

"Beast Boy?" I questioned, as he stepped between Heraldio and me. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard a crash," he replied, still standing protectively in front of me. "So I came to see if you were all right. Guess not. Who's the freak?"

"Heraldio," I replied, not taking my eyes off of the demon. "My father's brother. He wants to take me away to his headquarters. But I won't-"

I was cut off as Heraldio seized me by the cloak and carried me off to the island where Titans Tower was located. Beast Boy followed us, screaming my name, but his efforts were in vain. Heraldio ripped a hole in mid air with one gray claw. Beast Boy turned into a wolf and bit his ankle, but it was to no avail. I was carried away from all that I ever liked in life, a miserable ending to an almost perfect day.


	17. The Middle of the End

**A/N: The end is near! No, don't run around panicking. What I mean is, I'm gonna rap this up in a few more chappies like I said. Plus, the fluff will continue! Two of the major couples will be official by the end of the story. Anyway, let the end commence!**

**Disclaimer: My minions and I were going to take over the Teen Titans, but we got bored with it. So I don't own the Teen Titans. I will own a ray gun when GoodLadyGrace takes over the world! MWAHAHAHA!**

Reunions: Chapter Seventeen- The Middle of the End (Things Get Weirder)

"Dudes!" I yelled, panting. I paused to catch my breath, dangerously close to running into the sofa. Robin stared at me, looking confused. I then realized that I had a piece of macaroni stuck to my forehead, and that I was holding a bottle of iodine in one hand and a green marker in the other.

"Beast Boy? What's going on?" Robin asked. "And why are you carrying around a bottle of iodine?"

"It's Raven," I said, panicked. "There was a crash, so I came to check on her, and there was this big, black, demon! No lie," I paused for breath. "He claimed to be her uncle. Said something about a family reunion that she needed to be present for."

Terra finally turned around. "Nice try, Beast Boy. This is just like the time you told us that there was a ghost in Star's laundry bag."

"Seriously!" I protested. "Have you no compassion? Raven, one of our best friends, is in danger. She could be killed. It's obvious I'm the only one who really loves her." The sound of my fading voice trailed off into an awkward silence. "Fine," I muttered half to myself. I exited out the main doors, hearing them shout after me, but nothing mattered anymore.

Walking along outside, I noticed a small tear. It looked like someone had ripped a hole in space itself. I cautiously stuck my thumb inside and was happy to find that it lead into another world. This had to be where he had taken Rae. I was sure of it. I stepped through carefully. Emerging, I noticed that I was standing in a long entrance hall.

The walls were a pale gray stone. Torches lined the dark hallway, providing light but no comfort. The place had a stagnant feel, as if nothing was living here. I looked down at my feet as they tread lightly across the black marble floor. Their sounds echoed so greatly in the vast hall that I decided to take the form of a wolf to keep them from being heard. My acute wolf hearing heard a voice that was awfully familiar.

"So, you defy even your own family," it stated. I realized that I recognized it from inside Raven's mirror. "Pity, you are so strong. Yet you are a stubborn fool, like your mother."

A higher, indignant female voice spoke up. "Don't talk to me about my mother. She was a great person, unlike you. She sacrificed her life to save me. You don't even care. You hate me, even though in essence you are a part of me."

"Enough!" barked the first voice, Trigon, I presumed. "You are a waist of my time. Raven, a pathetic mortal name for a pathetic mortal girl. It's a wonder you have any powers at all." At this moment, I entered the room silently, then saw what had been going on. Raven was bound to a chair, while the black demon guarded her. The red demon, her father, was pacing back and forth. Behind him was a teenage boy who had white hair and blue eyes.

"Perhaps we should finish her now?" suggested the black demon.

"Oh, no," said Trigon with an evil smile. "I have something special for her. Neophis?"

"Yes?" piped up the white-haired boy.

"You finish her."

"Gladly," Neophis replied. He rose to his feet, then untied Raven. He formed a ball of fire in his hands. "Hello, Raven. Long time no see. I'm Neophis, your half-brother. But that's not the only thing that I'm half."

"You're nothing like me," Raven returned, levitating the chair over his head. "All you care about is destroying and harming the innocent. What ever happened to the good in you? How can you stand there and watch all of this happen, let alone participate?"

Neophis advanced, but Raven stood her ground. "I'm evil?" he said, letting out a hollow, inhuman laugh. "What would you call those scumbags you Azarathians call politicians, your head council and all that bologna? They forced me into cold, cramped orphanages with other freaks like me. They don't trust us. We don't matter. The glass can be half full or half empty, but it's still half." With each word his fists came dangerously closer to Raven's vulnerable forehead. It was all I could bear to stand and watch as they continued in an awkward dance of sorts, dodging each other's blows effortlessly.

"Neophis, enough!" Raven's father barked at last. For once I was thankful to hear the great jerk speak. Neophis had cornered her and was holding a porcelain vase over her head. "No, I don't care about the girl," he said in response to Neophis's confused glare, "but that's a family heirloom. Put it down, there's a good boy. Plus, I need her to fulfill the prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Neophis opened his eyes wide in wonder. "You don't mean the Prophecy of the Demonslayer? You know what kind of trouble that could cause." The dude had a point, seeing as they were a family of demons. Unless killing family is some form of honor.

"Yes, I do. Don't get all weird on me, boy. The prophecy clearly states that the Slayer must be present in order for the Slain to fall. I'll be fine. Just take Raven to her cell…I mean, quarters." With that, Trigon disappeared and Neophis grabbed Raven by the arm. I followed him as a wolf, waiting to strike. He was descending the second flight of stairs now, and there were no guards in sight. I crept up behind him, then sunk my teeth into his calf. Neophis writhed in pain.

I returned to my normal state. "That's what you get for messing with my girl." Of course, I just had to get my heroic heartthrob dialogue in there. And of course, Raven had to be standing there. I waited nervously for her to react, but she just stood there. At last she approached me, and with a look of complete shock, slapped me across the face. "_Wait a minute. KrazywithaK, put that backspace to good use and rewrite that scene so she kisses me!" "Not on your life, Garfield. That doesn't happen until chapter…never mind that."_

"You scared me half to death!" she yelled, causing a ringing in my ears. "What were you thinking? Obviously not how that kid could rip through your flesh, or swallow you whole, or crush your bones into a fine-"

"Okay!" I yelled, throwing up my hands. "Too much information. Besides, if you want to get out of here, I'll need to help you. So, do you know this prophecy of the demon's lair?"

"That's demon slayer." Her hard gaze was forced, and I could tell she was suppressing a laugh. "Azar, the woman who raised me, used to read it to me. I didn't know why at the time, but I'm a part of it now. So, the things that happened had to happen. It was in the prophecy."

"Well then, let's hear it."

She took a deep breath and began.

"When the black sunlight burns brightest

In the harvesting hour,

A child is born

To a woman of power

Her trek leads to danger

In a land afar

Forever ingrained

With a demon claw scar

The upper hand

Must this child gain

Born now the daughter

Of Slayer and Slain

The signs were ignored

But now a time draws nigh

When all those whose destiny

Slates them to die

Will perish and fall

Dry up and wither

Unless Bringer and Brought

Can hold strong together

If the rightful Slayer

Manages to succeed

For the lives of immortals

Her own blood she'll bleed

The girl will face challenges

Unlike any other

Until in the grave

Reunited with mother."

I could tell by the grave look on her face that the words weighed on her mind. "Look, why don't you go find your father? Pretend to go along with the ceremony and all that junk. I'll be with you every step of the way. Maybe together we can sabotage the plans. It could work."

She nodded. "All right. It's not a brilliant plan, but it's good for you. And that's a compliment," she added. "Oh, and sorry I slapped you. It was all I could do to keep me from…"

"From what?"

"From doing this." She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. I was confused, mainly for a different reason.

"Raven, if you were going to hug me all along you didn't need to slap me."

"I know," she said, winking. "But it was fun."

"Hey! What do you mean?" But it was too late. She was long gone. I sighed, then curled up into wolf form to sleep. All of this prophecy stuff was making my head hurt.


End file.
